Week In Review: Tree of Life lawsuit, Capitol riot arrest, BLM protester sentenced, Netflix minority scholarships, marathon cancelled
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Here are some of the top Tribune-Review news and feature stories from around the region for the week of Jan. 24-30, 2021.
For more details on these and other stories, follow the links below or see Triblive.com.
Son of Tree of Life victims sues NRA, alleging gun lobby spread ‘white supremacist’ conspiracies
A man whose parents were killed in the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue massacre has sued the National Rifle Association, claiming the gun lobby radicalized accused shooter Robert Bowers with “white supremacist conspiracy theories.”
Marc Simon, the son of Bernice and Sylvan Simon, filed the lawsuit Thursday. It names as defendants the NRA, the gun maker Colt’s Manufacturing, indicted shooter Robert Bowers and the unnamed company that sold Bowers the AR-15 used in the attack.
Eleven worshippers were killed in the Oct. 27, 2018, attack in Squirrel Hill.
Feds: Bridgeville man accused in Capitol riot said he would do it again
A Bridgeville man who is charged with participating in the U.S. Capitol riot said in messages recovered on his cell phone that he felt the need to kill people, including President Joe Biden, an FBI agent said Thursday.
FBI Special Agent Mark Brundage also testified during a detention hearing that suspect Kenneth Grayson told agents in an interview earlier this week that he had no regrets for entering the Capitol and that he would do it again.
Shaler man apologizes, ordered to halfway house for vandalizing police car during riot
A Shaler man who pleaded guilty to vandalizing a Pittsburgh police car during protests May 30 over the death of George Floyd will serve six months in a halfway house.
Senior U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Schwab ordered Brian Bartels to spend one day in the custody of the U.S. marshals before being moved to a residential re-entry program.
Bartels, 21, was sentenced on Wednesday for one count of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder. He pleaded guilty in September.
Netflix founder gives $3 million to Robert Morris University for minority scholarships
Netflix founder and co-CEO Reed Hastings is donating $3 million to underwrite 20 full scholarships at Robert Morris University, adding the Allegheny County school to a growing list of colleges and universities profiting from philanthropy aimed at boosting the future of minorities.
City cancels 2021 Pittsburgh Marathon; smaller regional races still on
The City of Pittsburgh has announced it will not grant a permit for the 2021 Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon, effectively canceling this year’s event.
Officials decided that May, when the marathon has traditionally been held, was too early to host such an event in a year with an ongoing pandemic.
The marathon attracts thousands of participants and hundreds of thousands of spectators from all over the country and around the world.